Britain commits to comprehensive peace in Sudan: ambassador

The British ambassador said here on Monday that his country would work with the international community to achieve comprehensive peace in Sudan.

"We are committed to work with the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan (AUHIP), led by Thabo Mbeki, the Troika, the U.S. and Qatar to achieve peace in Sudan, particularly Darfur," British Ambassador in Khartoum Michael Aron told reporters after a meeting with leaders of the external relations committee in Sudan's parliament.

The British diplomat commended the ongoing efforts to implement the national document of the Sudanese national dialogue conference which concluded in October last year.

He said what concerns Britain is the way to combine the document of the national dialogue with the AU road map and find an encouraging climate to enhance peace in Sudan.

In March 2016, the Sudanese government unilaterally signed the AU road map related to the cease-fire in South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur regions in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

Five months later, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector, the Justice and Equality Movement and the opposition National Umma Party, led by Saddiq al-Mahdi, also signed the road map.

In October 2016, Sudan's national dialogue conference approved the national document after a year of deliberations.

The final document, covering principles of rule, public freedoms, identity, peace, unity, economy and external relations, will serve as the basis of the country's permanent constitution.

In January 2014, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir declared an initiative calling on the opposition parties and the armed groups to join a national dialogue to end the country's crises.

However, major political parties and armed movements, including the Revolutionary Front Alliance which brings together the SPLM/northern sector and the major Darfur armed movements, refused to participate in the conference.

The Darfur armed groups and the SPLM/northern sector, citing decisions of the AU Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council, insisted that a preparatory conference should be held first to make all the Sudanese political forces agree on procedures to initiate an equitable dialogue, a demand that the Sudanese government rejected. Endit